Y'know Blizzard raided Volkl for personnel back when it started up again, and Goats were notorious for becoming incrementally stiffer every couple of years since 2004, 15% per topsheet was what one Volkl guy told me. Maybe it's a Volkl disease, and infected Blizzard.

It was more from athlete influence. Some of the European athletes were asking for stiffer skis which made it 's way subtly into production. The original 193 Cochise proto that Arne gave his thumbs up to was actually quite soft.

I busted my leg into a lot of pieces on the 196 Bodacious 3 years ago and swore I'd never ski it again but I sacked up and skied the new one on Friday at Alta and had a blast. It was variable to say the least and it was so much more fun than the old one. Old ski was kind if one dimensional. Just ass kicking if you weren't on your game . New one is more fun without losing the top end.

Just found this article about next year's crop of lightweight touring skis:
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Attachment 148406
"One of the lightest skis ever to hit the skin track - at 1,200 grams per ski - is La Sportiva's Vapor Nano (130/103/120 mm; MSRP $1,200). Made in the U.S. using a carbon-nanotube technology originally developed for the aerospace industry, the skis have an aggressively rockered tip, flat tail, and enough stability to handle the most technical lines."
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Attachment 148408
"Thanks to the capabilities of its new dedicated factory, Black Diamond can crank out more carbon-construction skis, including the Carbon Convert (133/105/117 mm, MSRP $900), a backcountry-focused model that shaves 380 grams per pair off the non-carbon Convert, weighing in at 1,460 grams per ski."
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Attachment 148409
"Volkl's V-Werks BMT was designed for big mountain touring, and includes elements like carbon-fiber construction, an air-channeled wood core, full rocker, and early-taper tip drawn from the brand's V-Werks and powder skis. The three models (MSRP $1,275) differ by waist width: 94, 109, and 122."
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Those were the four that caught my eye. Article also talks about other skis already mentioned in this thread.

Are all the good skiers just getting richer and fatter?

I'm going to do everything I can to walk uphill with 11lbs worth of WOODEN skis under my feet for as long as I possibly can.

The DPS Wailer 105 will be back for 14/15 with a new sidecut, flex and rocker profile. It has tip rocker, slight camber underfoot and a flat tail. A distinctly different design objective than the W99 in both Pure 3 and Hybrid constructions. This will also be one of the models showcasing a new Hybrid construction.

The newish mullet rocker is pretty sweet. I have it on this years Tahoe. Gives the ski life, stiffness and a wider feel at the same time. Easier to schmear turns yet still hold a SG turn on the firm piste.